Washing machine



April 3 AAAAAAAAAAA NE ummm J si k April 3o, 1929.

l 3. s. BLAKESLEE WASHING MACHINE Filed April 4, 1921 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 April 30, 1929. G. s. BLAKl-:sLx-:E

WASHING MACHINE Filed April 4, 1921 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 UNITED sri.

s OFFIC GEORGE S. BLAKESLEE, OF OAK PARK, ILLINOIS; GEORGE R. BLAKESVLEE EXECUTOB F SAID GEORGE S. BLAKESLEE, DECEASED.

WASHING mentira.

Application led April 4,v

kMy invention relates to machines for Washing dishes and similar-artlcles, and has for its object to provide sucha 'machine which will be compact and easilyhandled so that it will be well adapted for house-- hold use. I accomplish this object as illustrated in'` the drawings, and as herelnafter described. What I regard as newl 1s set forth in the claim. y

In the aceompanyingdrawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective-view of my 1mproved washing machine showing the cover or hood in its open position, a part of one side of the tank being broken away: to bet- 15 ter show the interior thereof; y

Fi 2 is a perspective view vof a dishjholding graine or rack used in eon'nectlo'n'with the machine; I

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional'vlew;

Fig. 4 is also a sectional v1ew taken on line 4 4 of Fig. 3; f

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section on .line r5---5 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a detail lllustrating the vwaste opening in the bottom of the tank, and the closure therefor, bein an enlarged vertical section on line 6-6 o Fig. 5; and

Fig. 7 is a perspective View illustrating a deflector used in the front part of the machine belowthe opening through which the articles to be washed are introduced or removed.

My improved washing machine comprises a box-like rectangular tank 8, preferably made of sheet metal, which is supported at a suitable height by legs 9. As best shown at 10 in Fig. 3, the bottom of the tank is V-shaped, and in the valley thereof, preferably near one end, a waste outlet 11 is provided which is adapted to be closed by a plug 12. This plug is preferably tubular, and is provided near its lower end with av tapered rubber gasket 13 which fits snugly in a tapered seat in the upper end of the outlet 11. `Projecting from the lower end of said plug are guidelfingers 14 which keep the plu centered when it' is lifted to permit the dise arge of water from the tank. The upper end of the plug isv open to permit water to escape from the-tank by over-ow, and it is provided with a bell-shaped hood 15 to prevent water from splashing out through the over-flow. The plug 12 is raised or lowered by means of a crank 16 which is mounted upon the inner end of a rock-shaft Cab 1921. semi No.1 458,19iaff,`

17 journaled in oneof thefsidel tank, as shown in Fig.j4, and" A, outer end with a lever 18 byl'whic'hitfmay conveniently be rocked. The; other end of the crank 16`is connected with'the vplug 12 by a connecting rody 19 and pivot20`.-v At its upper end adjacent to the pivot20 the rod 19 is provided Vwith. a clip 21 which extends over one side margin ofthe crank 16, as shown in Fig. 6, and serves as a stop to limit the movement'of 4'the crank in onegg direction. These parts are so arranged that,

the pivot 2O across'the center line s'o as to lock the plug in operative position, and by the crank may be swung far enough to carry I swingingsaid crank in theopposit'e directionk 'y the plug may be misedfhigh,` enough `to unV seat it and permit the water inthe tank .to

escape.

In a machine of thischaracterit is verydesirable to avoid the necessityof introduc` ing or removing the articles to be washed through the top of the tank, as that necessitates lifting ythem rather high, .whichfis apt to be burdensome, but heretoforefso: far as Iv am aWare,/no one has succee'dedin producing a washing machinelofgfthis type so constructed that the dishes 'could be introduced or removed atthe side,bec ause.of the difficulty of preventing the'escap'e of 'water through such a side opening. This will be appreciated when itis remembered that in such machineswhen in operation, the nterior offthe tank` is filled with iying particles or massesffofwater thrown by the Water distributing devices, and consequently,

the presencefofan opening below the ltop of the tank which might permit leakage has been carefully avoided.;v vI have, however, discovered that byconstructing the/'opening andthe hood or cover'therefor in such manner vas. to preventv the waterfrom forcibly striking the .meeting edges of the tank and hood, a side opening tank can vbe made in'which leakage will v'be prevented, while at the same time a large opening may be provided whichl Will afford ready access to all parts ofthe 'interior of the tank. The manner in which thisis accomplished will now be described. 1 l f Asbest shown'in Fig. 1, one of the walls of the tank, Apreferably the front wall 22, is made' considerably lower than the opposite Wall, it Vbeing preferabl about half as high, and at the same side o the tank the top 23 is also cut away to about the same extent. The sidewalls 24 have their upper corners cut awa on a line connecting the inner margin of t e to with the upper margin of the front wall, t us forming an inclined opening at the u per front portion of the tank which exten s across the same and lies in a plane extending from the top toward one side, as clearl shown in said ligure. Projecting inwardly fromA the top of the .tank parallel with its inner margin and a short distance therefrom, is a rib or flange 25, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. Similar flanges 26 lare provided parallel with and adjacent to the inclined edges of the side walls 24, as shown in Fig. 1, and a flange 27 is provided adjacent to the upper margin of the front wall 22, as best shown in Fig. 3. These flanges or ribs all serve as delectors which, in cooperation with the edges of the hood hereinafter described, serve to prevent the water thrown by the distributing devices from escaping around the marginsl of the hood.

28 indicates the hood or cover, the shape of which is best shown in Figs. 1 and 3, from which it will be seen that it is like a hollow prism in shape, and when in its closed position, com letes the box-like or square contour of t e tank. The hood is provided along its longitudinal margins with lips 29, 30 arranved at an angle with the front and top portions 31, 32 respectively7 thereof, as

best shown in Fig. 3. The lip 29, when the hood is in operative position, occupies an inclined position overlying the upper margin of the front wall 22 and flange 27, and the li 30 in like manner ro'ects angularly over the inner margin of t e ange 25. The inclined margins 33 of the end pieces of the hood fit within the margins 34 of the sides of the tank, and overlie the flanges 26, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. All these meeting edges, therefore, are protected so that water cannot be thrown directly against them, but is intercepted bythe several flanges or li s, and therefore, is retained in the tank. 'Ilhe hood is connected with the to 23 by hinges 35 secured to the top and to t e top portion 32 of the hood, as best shown in Fig. 3, and consequently, the hood ma be either turned up to the position shown 1n Fig. 1 where it appears as resting on the fixed portion of the top of the tank, or it may be swung down .into operative position in the manner shown in Fig. 3. When in the may be secured b a catch 36 which engages a stop 37 secure to the front wall of the tank, as shown in Fig. 3.

To provide further protection against the escape of water at the front'of the tank,'I provide a removable shield or deflector 38 in the form of a plate which is tted in guides 39 secured to the opposite endwalls of the tank near the front wa1l,so that it latter position, it

lies between the water throwing means hereinafter described and the opening into the tank, as shown in Fig. 3, said plate being arranged to slide vertically in said guides so that it may readily be removed or put in place. By placing said deflector in the position described it prevents the water thrown by the paddle wheel from impinging directly against the lower marginal portion of the cover, and, therefore, adequately protects against leakage at that point. By making this shield or deleetor 38 removable access may readily be had to the interiortof the front portion of the tank for cleansing purposes.v As shown in Fig. 7, this deflector is provided with ailange 40 at its upper margin which is substantially level with the lower front edge of the opening into the tank, and serves as a support for the front or loop portion of a bail 4l shown in Figs. 3 and 5. The'ends of the bail 41 are secured in sockets 42 fastened to the rear wall of the tank, as shown -in Fig. 4. Thus the bail may readily be removed when necessary. This bail serves as a support for a rack or frame 43, best shown in Fig.\2, which is adapted to contain dishes, such as plates and saucers, and hold them in an upright position. Preferably this rack is fitted inside of a basket 44 of reticulated construction, so that Lcups and other similar articles not adapted to be mounted in the rack 43v may be suitably supported while being washed. y

The wash water in the tank, which stands at a level determined by the height of the over-flow through the plug 12, vis thrown against and around the articles to be washed by means of a 46 carried by a rotary shaft 47 which extends paddle wheel 45 and paddles across the lower portion of the. tank above the level of the water therein, as shown in,

paddle wheel 45 is ar-l better regulated, and a greater volume water be thrown against the dishes Awhich require it most, thereby effecting economy of operation. Obviously, the washingroperapoints during the rotation of the The advantage of this constructionis that the distribution of the water throughout the upper portion of the tankmayrb. I o

tion has to be continued long enough to y cleanse all the dishes, although some might be completely cleansed long before others,

and with an equal distribution of water throughout all portions of the tank there time.

By my improved arrangement, howi is considerable wasteeither of power or of p ever, by properly distributing the dishes i with relationto the paddle wheel and the paddles so that a greater volume of water is thrown against the dishes hardest to wash, and a less volume against those more easily washed, the time or the power required for washing a batch of dishes may be considerably reduced.

The shaft 47 is driven by an electric motor 48 mounted on a support 49 at the underside of the tank, and connected with said shaft by pulleys 50, 51 and a belt 52, all enclosed within a housing 53, as best shown in Fig. 4.

For rinsing the dishes I provide spray pipes 54 which extend across the tank above the sha-ft 47, and are arranged transversely with reference thereto, said pipes being perforated at their upper sides so that they throw water in an upward direction against the dishes contained in the basket 44. The y pipes 54 are connected with a supply pipe 55 arranged outside of the tank, as shown in Fig. 3, and provided with a quick-acting valve 56 controlled by a lever 57, as shown in Fig. 4. This valve is normally closed, and may be quickly opened by pressing the lever 57.

When the washing operation begins, as the shaft 47 rotates at high speed, consid.- erable air pressure is -generated within the tank, and-to relieve such pressure, it is dey sirable that a vent be provided. For this purpose an opening 58 is provided at the top of the tank, as shown in Fig. 3, and to prevent the escape through said vent of the water thrown by the distributing devices, a deflector 59 is provided in the form of a plate which is secured to the top of the tank and extends parallel therewith over the vent at a short distance therefrom. By this arrangement although the pressure in the tank is relieved through the vent, the Water therein can not escape through it as it is intercepted by the deliector 59.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that when the hood is open, as illustrated in Fig. 1, a basket containing dishes may be introduced or removed from the front without the necessity of lifting it to an inconvenient height, thereby lessening the labor of operating the machine. Besides, when the dishes are removed, the interior of the tank is more conveniently accessible for cleansing purposes or for making repairs. The fact that the bail 41 and the deflector 38 are both easily removable is also an advantage,- as free access may be had to the lower portion of the tank for any necessary purpose. When open the hood or cover rests on the top of the tank and provides a shelf on which dishes to be placed in the tank can be temporarily deposited as the top of the hood then assumes a horizontal position. By this arrangement also there is no danger that the hood will fall on t-he head of the operator as it is securely supported without the use of links or other movable supporting devices.

What I claim as my invent-ion and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

A washing machine comprising a tank having an inclined opening extending across the same and lying in a plane extending from the top toward one side for the introduction of the articles to be washed, a cover hinged to the top of said tank and movable over said opening to close the same and prevent the escape of water therethrough, a deflecting plate removably fitted in the tank adjacent to and substantially parallel with the front wall thereof, means in said tank for throwing water upon the articles to be washed, and a bail-shaped frame having its ends removably fitted in sockets on the back wall of the tank, the loop portion of said frame extending over and being supported by said delecting plate.

GEORGE S. BLAKESLEE. 

